# Another splitting problem (while smoking)



## ajk170 (Feb 17, 2010)

Well, I'm having issues with the humi. It's probably my own fault since my only a novice at this cigar thing and with my limited knowledge I'm confused as to what to do to correct the issue of cigars splitting while smoking.

I understand there's a host of variables at play in this issue but I live in Richmond, VA and have what I think is a cheap 100 count Xikar humi (spent $100 bucks on it) only to find that the seal sucks (failed both the paper and dollar bill test) and I have ~60 cigars in there. I have 2x digital Xikar hygrometers that vary by +-4 from the salt test and (while in the humi) vary by almost 6% from each other (one's on the shelf and the other on the base) I use a medium size Xikar puck with Xikar solution (100 count). The temp on the digitals are consistant at ~70 degrees. Oh, the humidity was between 62% and 71%.

I recently notices several unwrapped cigars flaking and just had a Diamond Crown Maxumus split while smoking last night. It actually tasted awful- I couldn't finish it. That was one that I got from my local B&M too! The other night my Nestor Miranda Maduro was delicious and I don't remember it splitting. 

So, I moved the humi to another location in the house in homes that I can level this thing out. I have some pretty decent and some outstanding cigars that I don't want to loose to something that is preventalbe. 

I haven't made the move over to the humidity beads and have considered getting a custom made humi (Waxing Moon looks like the way to go - stay American!) to help preserve my small investment (and subsequently switch to the beads).

Any thoughts?

Thanks!
-Andy


----------



## thebayratt (Jun 4, 2009)

Cigars _can _split when smoked outside if the humidity is a drastic difference between inside and out where you are smoking.

Beads would be a good start to any RH problems you have.


----------



## Athion (Jul 17, 2010)

Another question is did you season the Humi properly? I would think a Xikar would be pretty good (I have no idea how good their Humis are, but everything else is high quality, right? )


----------



## ajk170 (Feb 17, 2010)

Athion said:


> Another question is did you season the Humi properly? I would think a Xikar would be pretty good (I have no idea how good their Humis are, but everything else is high quality, right? )


Well, I'm not sure who makes the humis for them but one would like to think that they aren't slapping thier name on everything without any QA/QC of some sort. But I can say that it LOOKS nice, but by no means is it a tomb.

I tried like everything to ensure that it seasoned correctly- followed all the advice found thoughout the forum- doubt it's a seasoning issue and to be clear, I had this over in Iraq since FEB of this year and it held up without a hitch - I was really worried that it would fail me over there but it worked flawlessly. I sent it home in July and hadn't noticed a problem until the last week or so- I assume its an issue with the temp in the house- but again, I'm pretty limited in experiance on this.

I appreciate your thoughts and anybody else's as well!

Thanks!
-Andy


----------



## gjcab09 (Jul 12, 2009)

The first thing that came to my mind when I read *"just had a Diamond Crown Maxumus split while smoking last night. It actually tasted awful"* was too moist, which is not unthinkable with a B&M cigar. My local has a couple of those "misters" running in the walk in, and the cigars in close proximity always need a good rest or a couple days dry box to smoke properly. I've never had cigars unravel in the humi, so I don't know about that, but it seems excess humidity might be a culprit there as well.

I'll second the beads idea and, am wondering how confident you are in your hygro's readouts? How long did you do the salt test for? Many suggest a 36 hour test minimum, which is hard and often neglected when one is new and excited to have everything up and working as quick as possible.

Good luck sorting this out, understanding may not come overnight, but it will come!

*edit- just read your second post and thanks for serving!


----------



## ajk170 (Feb 17, 2010)

. . .but it seems excess humidity might be a culprit there as well.[/QUOTE]

I hadn't thought that there could be too much humidity . . . since joining the forum, I try to let my smokes dry out a bit prior to smoking to guard against just such a thing. But this could be consistant with the fact that the Nestor Miranda smoked a couple days prior came from TH and has been resting for several months and the Diamond is fairly new (about three weeks)

I let the hygros salt test for about 40 hours when I got them and have reset them back in May (salt test) since I was concerned back then that they weren't running correctly.

I'm actually not a fan for the Xikar digital hygrometers (I've seen a lot of positive comments on various places/retailers) - seems like cheap construction and I currently use two and have a third in a drawer with a dead battery (or it's defective).

With that said, I don't think Xikar has junk (two lighters and the carbon fiber cutter), just should have used a better manufacturer for the hygros (MHO of course).

-Andy


----------



## gjcab09 (Jul 12, 2009)

Well, you seem to be approaching this methodically and carefully. 

Out of curiousity, do you have a Tupperware or other plastic airtight plastic container that you could load with your sticks and a hygro for a few days, just to see what kind of RH you get without a humidifier? Might point you in a direction.


----------



## nanotech (Oct 27, 2008)

I had some cigars drop down to 50% RH, and that is when I experienced splitting while smoking. You could hear the wrapper cracking and popping once it was heated. I think this could be the culprit more than overhumidification.


----------



## gjcab09 (Jul 12, 2009)

nanotech said:


> I had some cigars drop down to 50% RH, and that is when I experienced splitting while smoking. You could hear the wrapper cracking and popping once it was heated. I think this could be the culprit more than overhumidification.


It's feasible...cigars do strange things when they get outside their comfort zone. The humi may have lost seal and dropped RH, causing the wrappers to go dry, while the filler remained properly humidified...as it expanded with the heat and steam, it would quite probably crack the dry wrapper. I'm still stuck on the "awful" taste, which I associate more with too much moisture than too little, in my experience. :hippie:


----------



## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

nanotech said:


> I had some cigars drop down to 50% RH, and that is when I experienced splitting while smoking. You could hear the wrapper cracking and popping once it was heated. I think this could be the culprit more than overhumidification.


I'm willing to wager it's more complicated than that. I'd bet that you saw 50% on a hygrometer and the wrappers had dried and hardened, but that the binder and fillers were far higher rH than that. As the more moist tobaccos began to swell with the heat, the wrapper couldn't take it and cracked.

Andrew,

I'm also willing to bet that you got that DCM from Havana Connections here in RicVa. They are notorious for over-humidifying cigars. I let all my Havana Connections purchases rest for a minimum of 8wks.

Get beads.

Let me know if you'd like to get together and herf some time.


----------



## 1029henry (Jan 18, 2010)

+1...... beads, baby!


----------



## centralharbor (May 20, 2010)

Don't ask me why I did this, but I tried smoking a cigar as fast as I could a while ago, and the wrapper split a lot throughout the cigar. Maybe the pace at which you smoke could be a problem too?


----------



## ajk170 (Feb 17, 2010)

gjcab09 said:


> Well, you seem to be approaching this methodically and carefully.
> 
> Out of curiousity, do you have a Tupperware or other plastic airtight plastic container that you could load with your sticks and a hygro for a few days, just to see what kind of RH you get without a humidifier? Might point you in a direction.


I do have one- that's probably not a bad idea- Though that might skew it since it should be air tight. At least I would be able to tell if the location is throwing the humi into the tailspin!


----------



## ajk170 (Feb 17, 2010)

gjcab09 said:


> It's feasible...cigars do strange things when they get outside their comfort zone. The humi may have lost seal and dropped RH, causing the wrappers to go dry, while the filler remained properly humidified...as it expanded with the heat and steam, it would quite probably crack the dry wrapper. I'm still stuck on the "awful" taste, which I associate more with too much moisture than too little, in my experience. :hippie:


That's a good point about the dry wrappers- I actually heard the wrapper crack. But this happened a couple of minutes before lighting it. I first cut it, ensuring not to cut too far down and compromise the cap, and prior to lighting it (Im almost positive it was prior to lighting it), drew some air through it to get a taste and it was about a minute or two (I got to talking)before I lit it and that's when I noticed what I thought was the rest of the cap unraveling- it wasn't, it was the wrapper pulling away from where it split (at the top down not at the foot).

As far as the taste- I've had several DCMs (although this is the first time I've had this somwhat smaller version- something of a robusto size) and they were all delicious- dare I say an excellent cigar (not like the Padron 45 years or some of the Opus X) but a great second which makes me a fan of them. Sadly, this one was a waste of $10+ (not sure what exactly I spent, but it was something like that). Made me wish I light another Nestor instead. I too initally thought it was "too much moisture thus a cardboard taste" but disgarded that notion due to the apparent dryness and flaking of the unwrapped stogies in the humi. (This DC Maximus was wrapped which made me think it was fine). But your suggestion makes sense to me- and if this is true, any thoughts as to rectifying?

On a side note of taste- I have come to realize that what you drink totally affects the falvor as well (of course this is an individual taste) and to date I have only found a couple things that actually taste good with any cigar, thought I vow to continue the search! I was drinking a Sierra-Nevada Tumbler Ale with this particular smoke (currently the only beer I think tastes decent with stogies).

Thanks!

-Andy


----------



## ajk170 (Feb 17, 2010)

Herf N Turf said:


> I'm willing to wager it's more complicated than that. I'd bet that you saw 50% on a hygrometer and the wrappers had dried and hardened, but that the binder and fillers were far higher rH than that. As the more moist tobaccos began to swell with the heat, the wrapper couldn't take it and cracked.
> 
> Andrew,
> 
> ...


Herf- I think you guys nailed what's going on here - Any suggestion on fixing the prob? And you guessed it- I told the wife the other night that although I like keeping the $$ local, I need to get what I like from TH- I know what I'm getting from there.

I bought a bunch from there that day and thus have a couple DCs left, I'll do just that and not touch any of those others from there as well until December- luckily I have the Nestors and Olivas to fall back on.

Getting ready to move next week from the Short P area down to Chester so a Herf would be a great escape.

Looks like you changed the avatar(?)- Nice!


----------

